Repairs
by Jennifer Darknight
Summary: When missions go awry and Reploids get wounded, it's the medical staff who go through the most stress. Lucky for Zero, he has a certain someone help out in case of such emergencies. /Zero/X, AU, Human!X/
1. Repairs

**Title: **Repairs

**Fandom: **Megaman X / Rockman X

**Characters: **Zero, X, Roll. Mentions of Lifesaver, Dr. Cain, and Iris.

**Pairing: **So Zero / X it hurts.

**Genre: **Romance

**Warnings: This is an Alternate Universe Fic! **X is a human in this, so there are a few changes to the canon that I kind of have hinted about this fic. Like Roll's existence (as a teenage model no less) in the X universe. And that Iris is alive and well post-X4. This is part of a much larger Universe of my own creation, but I did my best to have this stand alone without needing much explanation to enjoy the fluff within. Also, this is unbetaed; so please forgive any issues the story might have. Also, spoilers for MMX1.

**Author's Note:** This is an updated version of my original story (which I first published on my fanfiction tumblr), with the ending fixed and some other things made smoother than the original version (such as character reactions, etc). Since I posted up the omake chapter, I might as well post THIS.

**Summary: **When missions go awry and Reploids get wounded, it's always the medical staff that suffer the most stress. Lucky for Zero, he has a personal assistant in case of such emergencies.

* * *

><p>"...Oh, good, you're awake. Zero, is my voice coming in clearly?"<p>

The young man glanced up from the clipboard in his hand, free hand playing with the mane of unruly chocolate brown hair as he looked upon his open-eyed patient with a smile.

Not that he seemed to really see him. Blue eyes, usually so steady and clear with purpose, shook from distortion, the irises even fuzzing a bit like a poorly-adjusted and old-fashioned TV set. At the very least, the healthy flush of the synthetic skin told him that the Reploid's body seemed to be able to take the fluids and coolants without issue, and from the low, nearly inaudible hum of whipping blades, the new internal fans were kicking in nicely, too.

As expected, the 'doctor' received no response other than a blind nudge of a nod.

He scribbled a few notes on his clipboard before hobbling (damn it, damn it...he knew that he should have laid off his leg a little bit, but already it was starting to disagree with him. Come on, it was just a bit more. He could do it...)towards a few monitors, displaying lines of code and diagnostics that he simply wrote down on his clipboard with well-meaning but nearly unintelligible lines.

"...X? Is that...is that you?"

The tone was thick and mechanical, bouncing off the walls and straight into the young man's chest as though it would knock him over. X frowned, turning to the Reploid on the table with a tilt of the head.

"Isn't it always?" He let out a sigh. Looks like the first start-up wasn't a perfect run like he'd thought. But then, with Zero, there always was _something_... "Your voice isn't coming in the clearest; does your throat feel any pain at all?"

A quick shake of the head. The blond's face twisted in annoyance after a moment, his brow knitting and his teeth baring slightly.

"X, I can't move. And I can't see."

"Sorry about that." X scratched his head. Even with how much of a mess it was, it was a wonder that his hair stayed out of his face long enough for him to work. It was almost as though it was magic. "Your eyes are taking a little longer to fix than I'd hoped. And on not moving, I kept most of your motor functions shut down for now; I learned my lesson last time."

"Hey, now. That only happened _once_. I normally don't do that."

"It's still important to take precautions. Besides, the damage on your limbs aren't entirely fixed yet, so it'd be a bad idea for you to be moving around too much anyway."

"Yes, _honey_."

If Zero wasn't in such shape, X would have lightly thwapped him on the head with his hand. Still, it was a good sign. Barbs were passed, banter was thrown about; even though his arms and legs were still only 60 percent fixed (his self-repairing systems would have to take care of that; though that wouldn't stop X from still checking the progress every so often to see if any changes were noted on the console screens), the essentials were working fine, short of the eyes.

He was probably going to have to shut him down again soon. He knew that he put the wires in the proper place—was it a driver error? It was possible; re-installing the driver and testing it again was probably the only option...

But then...

"Fixing me again, huh?" Zero's voice broke the sudden silence, snapping X out of his reverie. The tone wavered, but the voice at least came clear enough for X to understand.

"You know how it is." he said quickly, trying to hide a slight blush. "That last mission was..."

"...A clusterfuck waiting to happen." Zero finished. "I know."

Yeah, he kind of hit the nail on the head there. "Yeah...so the medical bay's swamped; Dr. Cain, Roll, and Lifesaver had their hands full as it was, and, well, you know how it is with your body. Fixing you alone would take them **days** with the damage you suffered...so I've been working on you here, in the lab."

X almost wasn't able to bring himself to repair him. The throbbing in his leg and chest aside (not that either of those weren't par for the course, even before...all this), the sight of Zero's body trashed, pieces lying everywhere around him as his lifeless body was strapped to the surgical table...

And that wasn't even including Iris's apologies, her tears and sobs as she'd announced herself a horrible navigator, and X's attempts to calm her down.

He wasn't able to go on that mission due to medical complications. He should have gone—and yet, when he didn't, _this_ happened.

So much for "You just lie down and rest, X—this'll be done before you know it".

X ignored the tightness in his chest, wincing as he made an attempt to shake off the sudden flare-up in his upper right leg as he glanced over at Zero's vitals again.

"I'm surprised Lifesaver isn't breathing down your neck. How late is it?"

X chuckled. "Late enough."

"So you're working after-hours again?"

Even with the metallic tang to his tone, the lightly-tinged concern was still apparent. X sighed.

"You make it sound like I'm some sort of obsessive workaholic," he quipped. "I'll have you know that I usually have a very strict sleep schedule."

"Only because Iris, Roll and Lifesaver would tie you to your bed otherwise." No matter how long he worked on Reploids, hearing the chuckle of one who had a damaged voice program would always startle him. "How many late nights did you stay out with me, just last week?"

X's cheeks stained red. "I-it's not like you made any move to stop me."

"Oh, like you were complaining."

"You're just a bad influence."

"Oh no, you caught me. My master plan to corrupt your human mind and whisk you away from your strict health regimen is _ruined_."

He really _was_ all right. Despite his current issues, once the minor repairs were done with, Zero was going to be just fine. But if his voice was that full of static, it must have meant that the voice box wasn't working right—the hardware was fine, and Zero said that he didn't feel any throat pain, but there was something about the program that wasn't letting it read perfectly yet. And then there were the eyes...once he tested the drivers and let that run its course, he probably needed to lie down for a bit and let the self-repair function start doing its job. His right leg was starting to smart, and when the usual dull ache could no longer be pushed to the back of his mind and was replaced with full-on pain, that was probably a good sign to stay off of it for a while.

Besides, after a three-day working stint with few breaks (all of which he was forced to take), X needed something substantial. Something like **sleep**. And **food**.

Oh, wonderful food. Maybe he could order out, get some stuff at that Chinese place he liked so much. Iris and Roll were able to at least keep him sustained those past few days (they wouldn't let him leave his dormitory until he _was_), but Iris's cooking skills were average at best and X secretly wondered if Roll had some hidden vendetta against her creator's poor stomach and its aversion to...whatever it was that she would throw on a plate and shove at him.

Still, for them to go out of their way to make sure he was taken care of...he needed to do something nice for those two later. Maybe take them out to that cafe they all liked so much once he was feeling more...well, _human_, for lack of a better word.

But all that would come later. Once the eyes read right and the limbs were at around 70 to 75 percent, then he could get some rest. Regardless of how long that took. His stomach could take a few hours of irritation and his body could relive his sleepless college days for another day; Zero needed his attention more.

If his leg still was giving him problems, well...there was always the Hot Pepper trick. Pain redirection was never a bad thing in a long work-stretch.

"Zero," X tapped a few keys on the console to his right. "I'm going to shut you down now. Is that all right?"

"Fine by me." He said. "Just get some sleep. You sound like shit."

A snort from X and a chuckle from Zero was all that needed to be exchanged before the human put him back into shutdown mode.

-00-

How long had it been since he had last woken up? The familiar warm haze of startup washed over Zero as his eyes opened, the shrill clacking of a keyboard and feminine humming touching his ears before his oculars had much of a chance to even adjust. The familiar whirrs of gears and chitters of nearby computers were a matter of course, combined with the almost comforting smells of oil, metal, and disinfectant that seemed to stick in the medical bay like a permanent musk.

His vision focused; the light was dim, with flickering workstations scattered to and fro around the table, wires lining the floor and small tables surrounding the recovery pod he lied in.

"Hey there, Princess. How're you feeling?"

Out of the corner of his eye, the wisps of blonde hair floated past the pod, towards some unused stations in the back of the room. Really, it was a wonder that Roll didn't tire of hanging around these medical stations for as much as she did; for a Reploid whose original function was housekeeping, she stepped into the role of nurse so well that it was as though she was built for it from the beginning. It was a wonder that she and Lifesaver weren't two halves of one whole Reploid, with the amount of time she'd stuck with him.

"Good to see you, too, Roll." Zero grumbled. What was it with her and that horrendous nickname? "You know, if you keep calling me that, then the rookies are going to start getting the wrong idea."

"You mean they already aren't? I could have sworn that there was at least one or two from your unit making Sleeping Beauty cracks while you were out..."

Zero blanched, his insides churning just a little bit. All this did was evoke raucous laughter from his nurse.

"I'm joking, I'm joking! No need to look at me like that! The only one who would think of doing that is me, anyway."

"Nice to know."

Zero's body started to rise out of the pod, but his head had other ideas. Sharp pain flew from the base of his metallic spine to the top of his head, doing a small dance in his cranium before he let out a gasp of pain.

"Agh!"

"Easy there, Sleeping Beauty." Roll's voice was smooth but distracted, fingers clacking at some unseen keyboard in the distance. "We have you on slow start up, so even though you're fully operational, you shouldn't be running around just yet. I'd give it a few minutes if I were you."

The throbbing in his head responded in kind, and Zero's head felt the soft cushion of the pod almost immediately.

"Apparently." Was all he could mumble.

"Oh, don't be a baby." She chuckled, moving away from the console and bending over the pod, strands of blonde hair tickling his nose. Up close, it was amazing how human she looked; if Zero didn't know better, then he'd have mistaken her for any pretty sixteen-year-old girl. "X fixed you up, and since the crowd was thinning out here and all that was left was the self-repair program doing its stuff, we had you moved out of the lab and in here. Lifesaver gave you the once-over and told me to boot you back up, but you're going to want to go and seek the old geezer out once you're well enough to move."

"How...how long have I been out?" he asked.

"Long enough." Roll backed away and smiled. "I'd say a few days since your last start-up."

That long? Damn.

"So where's...?"

"My darling creator and your Prince Charming" Zero had to grimace at that. "...was on call as soon as he'd gotten enough rest to recover from fixing you." The grin on her face was almost unnerving, especially when she gave Zero that mischievous, penetrating stare. "Don't worry, you'll have enough time to put on the gingham apron and pearl earrings before he gets back."

_OW._ Facepalming probably wasn't the best thing to do with the throbbing headache of slow-start.

"What? If it isn't him hovering over you, then it's you hovering over him." Slender fingers moved to the side of the recovery pod, pressing a few buttons before smiling in satisfaction. "I have to say, it's really fun to watch."

Zero scoffed."First a princess and now a housewife? Roll, you make it seem like me and X are some sort of human married couple."

"With how you two act?" The fact that she was laughing over something so personal should have burned him; but then, this was _Roll_. The girl was like that rambunctious kitten who accidentally clawed you in the arms when they were trying to play. If there was any harm in her words it was entirely lost behind that warm smile. "You might as well be. Not that it's a bad thing, though; it's kind of nice to have someone looking out for him besides me."

Looking out for. Yeah, Zero would go with that. If 'looking out for' meant...

...No, no, no. Not the time. He could save those sort of thoughts for after he was out of here. Out of the disinfectant and the distant moans of injured Reploids.

Roll tapped her foot on the linoleum once.

"And before you ask, _yes_, X's vitals are fine. He went through a thorough check before he went on duty again. Even his leg is better than usual. So stop worrying!"

"_Yes, ma'am_."

The female Reploid puffed out her cheeks. "I would hit you if you weren't just recovered, Zero."

"Well, aren't I lucky?"

Hey, moving didn't feel so terrible now. His headache was starting to subside, and Zero felt light as he started to rise from his pod, his body almost foreign as he stepped out and onto the Med bay floor.

"Apparently." With a shooing motion, Roll turned back to one of the nearby computers. "Now go on, git. Lifesaver's got to check you over yet, and that apron isn't going to wear itself."

"You know, I could get you court-martialed for harrassing an officer."

Roll rolled her eyes. "Oh, whatever. I'm not even in your jurisdiction, buddy. After all that you and X put me through? I think I'm more than qualified to give you guys hell every now and then." She laughed again, turning to him and making the shoo motion one more time. "What are you still doing here? Go on, get out of here!"

Zero did what she asked with a smile.

-00-

As Roll would later find (and much to her disappointment), that mysterious gingham apron was never touched, though Zero _did_ poke his head in and see what assignments X were thrown on.

Considering his state prior to...well, the reason he was hospitalized in the first place, it wasn't surprising that it was mostly babysitting rookies. Basic reconnaissance, low-grade Maverick hunting, that sort of thing. Really, Zero could practically imagine X holding their hands like a sort of human teacher on a class trip, making sure they didn't rough up their armor or get their hands into a particularly corrosive chemical or something.

The thought was so simultaneously ridiculous and fitting, Zero found himself bursting into laughter.

"Care to let me in on the joke, Zero, or are you just going to laugh on my bed all night?"

Ah, and there was the man himself. Ruffled and without his hardsuit, X grumbled as he walked through the dormitory doorway, allowing the door to slide shut and lock behind him.

Unruly hair, frumpy white T-shirt, faded pants, beat-up sneakers...

From the crisp appearance he had while in his hardsuit, and the polite, professional tones he carried around at work, one would think that they took X and replaced him with someone else.

Though Zero knew better.

"That bad, huh?" he asked.

"Not as bad as it could have been..." A sigh, and X stretched his arms as he stepped further into the room. "But the new recruits still have a lot to learn. If I hadn't have been there..."

How many people took the time to look at X when he was out of that ever-present hardsuit of his? How many took the time to notice the way he walked with a slight limp, leaning just a little bit to the left as though to subconsciously take pressure off his right, weaker leg? Sometimes all one needed to do was look at the level of limp to tell if it was a good day or a bad day...

Roll was right. Today _was_ a good day.

"Well, obviously. They're coming in too green, since training times are now so short." Zero moved a bit as X limped towards the bed, flopping on it stomach-first. His face was pressed into the mattress, but his head was turned towards the Reploid, signifying that he was listening.

"I wish I could talk to Signas about this," X sighed. "But we really do need all the help we can get. I understand _why_ they're doing it, but it doesn't mean I agree. Too many recruits could get hurt, many of them on their very first missions."

"That's why they have higher-class units like us assigned to show them the ropes when they're not busy." Zero said, "So that these things don't happen."

X flopped onto his back with a grunt of effort, green eyes wide and unblinking as they stared up towards the ceiling. "I know..."

Another sigh. To say that X was talented at those deep, philosophical sighs was a gross understatement; it was almost as though it was programmed into him, if humans had the ability to be programmed.

It was at times like this that Zero was glad he had stripped himself of his outer armor, opting instead for simple civilian clothes that felt less bulky against the practically wafer-thin bed. With a sigh of his own he flopped down on his back, fingers barely brushing X's on the sheets.

"Penny for your thoughts, Zero?" X murmured.

"No." He chuckled. "I'm broke."

"..." Oh, geez. Another sigh. "...did you talk to Iris? She really seemed anxious to track you down."

If a woman could make a man feel two inches tall, she was it. And that was when she was berating _herself _for a job poorly done. That didn't even count when she was scolding the rookies or Zero himself. "If by 'telling her that she wasn't the worst navigator in the world, and that _yes, _I'm fine', then yeah. I did get a chance to talk to her."

"I'm glad. She wouldn't have let me hear the end of it if you didn't talk to her first."

"Jealous?"

X let out an indignant cough, throwing Zero a glare. "_No_."

"Liar."

Silence. Blue and green eyes simply stared up at the ceiling, watching as the shadows played with the corners and made shapes in the cracks. It was almost as though the room itself was making a small show, just for them.

X stirred.

"...you're really okay."

The voice was quiet. Too quiet; even Zero's great ears strained to catch the words, full of...something. Relief? Sadness?

"Of course I am." Zero felt X's hand inch closer to his, brushing his palm with his calloused fingers. It felt nice, almost...soothing. "You thought something like that was going to get rid of me?"

"No, I knew, I just..."

"You worry too much. The damage was extensive, but not bad enough to put me out of the count for good."

"I know. It just reminded me of..." X bit his lip, as though trying to think of the right words to say. "It just reminded me of back then."

Back then...yeah.

-00-

_"Zero!" _

_ Even through the pain, Zero still found himself laughing a little at the overexuberance in X's features. How could he have ever thought that this kid was anything other than human? The exaggeration of emotions, the intense innocence, the inability to turn emotions 'off' on the field of battle..._

_ And yet, still most of the Maverick Hunters thought that this ball of sunshine and _feelings_ was just like them. It was almost laughable, really._

_ "What...What did I tell you about watching yourself, X? I always told you...that you should...be...careful." Who designed Reploids to bleed like humans? Whoever it was had a very, very sick sense of humor. Simply talking sounded like he was gargling some particularly thick oil, as the false blood poured into his throat and gurgled right back out of his mouth. "Though I can't...Can't say much, can I?" _

_ Were those tears welling up in his eyes? Those gentle armored hands, so steady in holding him, were starting to shake. "Zero, don't try to talk. I'll...I'll get you back to the lab and get you fixed up, good as new."_

_ "It's...it's a little too late for that, don't you think?" _

_ "Of course not!" His voice was growing fainter, and fainter still. But really; even with fading hearing, Zero could still hear the hitch in X's voice, the rising pitch of rapidly increasing panic. "Your...your auto-repair function..."_

_ "Come on...you kn-know better. It can't...it can't fix this."_

_ "B-but!" His vision was growing dark, his hearing was going, but he could still hear the clatter of X's hardsuit as he trembled. "I can take you back, and I can fix you! I can..."_

_ "X. Listen to me." _

_ He had to listen. HAD to. _

_ "But Zero-"_

_ "NO! X, _listen!_"_

-00-

Considering the situation, it wasn't surprising that X had thought about that time. He had been helpless then, too. Unable to do anything even when everyone said he had all the power in the world _to_ help. The only human inducted into the Maverick Hunters, with the combined repair and combat skills to be an S-class Combat Medic (though for reasons Zero would never comprehend, he stuck with his combat focus on the field, keeping his B-class hunter status), and yet he couldn't do a thing.

Then, because the damage had been too great.

Now, because he was detained for medical reasons. Though those seem to be doing better than they were before.

"...I know." Zero said after a moment. "But you got me fixed up in the end, didn't you? You always do."

Ever since the beginning, he'd always managed to do it. Even when he'd thought he would bite it permanently, X did the impossible and not only put him together again, but got him working better than he was before. Some Reploids had said that the human had 'magic fingers' when it came to repair-work and electronics—Zero was apt to agree with that.

X nodded, fingers twitching in Zero's palm. Hey, he was smiling now, too. "Yeah. Yeah, I did."

"And you'll do it again next time. If there is a next time."

X snorted. "There better _not_ be. I'd rather see you back from a mission with your body intact, thanks. My heart is bad enough without you making it worse."

A moment passed. The human's body shifted, a tiny grunt coming out of his throat as he struggled to sit up on the bed. With a yawn, he stood back up at a slight slant, stretching his arms above his head and lifting his bad leg up slightly.

Zero sat up as well.

"Hey, Zero." X took a few wobbly steps towards the door.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go somewhere. I'm sick of hanging around here."

Zero stood, stretching his own arms as well. Even if they weren't human, Reploids still had to maintain the synthetic muscles under his human body. Otherwise they'd stiffen and creak, irritating the wires and parts inside and underneath. For some, workouts were even required, though Zero had little trouble fulfilling _that._

He raised an eyebrow.

"Already? Didn't you just get off-duty?" He asked.

"Everything's so cramped. I think I just need some fresh air." X turned to him and smiled. "So let's get out of here and do something fun for a change."

Zero didn't have a chance to react; X already had his hand latch onto his, and the smaller human made that adorable attempt at dragging him to the back of the dorm, past the kitchenette (Why did everything have to be cat-themed in there, though? The fact that all of X's appliances and kitchenware had cat faces on them was damn unnerving) and living room, all the way back to where the teleporters were.

"So where are we going?" He at least had to ask.

"Hmmm..." X tapped his chin. "I _am_ craving Chinese food."

"You're paying, right?"

"Of course. If I'm offering, the least I can do is—"

A sharp knock interrupted him, sending both mens' gazes towards the front door. Another followed, and then another.

"Yoo-hoo! X! Zero!" Roll called from the other side, muffled by the door. "I know you guys are in there!"

A louder knock followed the silence she received, as Reploid and human were already moving onto the round platform of the teleporter in question. X's fingers were already flying on the keypad, plugging in coordinates at a speed that Zero had only seen coming out of Reploids. Was X _really_ a human?

"Come ON, guys!" Roll whined. "Don't ignore me! X, get your tongue out of Zero's throat and open the door! Don't make me hack in and catch you guys in a compromising position!"

"S-sorry Roll!" X called, red-faced, as his keypad dance was complete. "Zero and I have something to do. You know how it is! We'll talk to you when we get back!"

"IF you get back!" Roll retorted.

"Nah, he'll be back." Zero called, grabbing X's hand. Even after so long, it was a wonder how the human could blush so easily. "He just might come back a little more tired than usual. Hope you don't mind."

X palmed his forehead, shaking his head and averting his eyes from both Zero and the door. "_Zero..._"

Roll simply shrieked in response. "I did NOT need to know that!" A pause. "Fine, you go have your man-date. Just bring him back in one piece, Zero, or I'll shave your head and replace your hair with poodle fur!"

"Yeeesh, point taken. Don't worry, your darling creator will be fine."

"He _better_ be. X, you take care of yourself, too!"

Even with his red face, X laughed. "I will. And thanks, Roll. We'll see you later!"

With that, X's free hand moved to tap the final button on the keypad.

...and both were gone in a flash of light.


	2. Omake: Testing

**Title: **Testing

**Characters: **Zero, X, Roll.

**Pairing: **Implied, but not present, Zero/X.

**Author's Note:** This is the original opening that I had for the longfic in this verse (which is actually coming; it's just very slow), with some of the prose from this still in the version I'm working on. I was going to post this as an original oneshot (at least on this site; on my tumblr it's different), but I figured it'd work best as an omake piece to Repairs rather than its own standalone thing. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p><em> It was never a pretty sight when Mavericks were involved. Even from his convenient perch on top of an overturned overpass, as high above the wreckage to make it seem surreal (but close enough to know that it was not), it was impossible to deny; especially when it was right before his eyes. <em>

_ A sigh. _

_ Overturned cars, the glint of metal, the remains of barricades and spits of flame amongst the smoke was enough to make it something of a post-apocalyptic wonderland. Photographers and writers would have had a field day, if some of them hadn't found a way to sneak in and do so already, huddling amongst the pandemonium to satisfy their curiosity (or even to assist the wounded) before the Hunters or rogue machines got ahold of them first. Chunks of charred organic matter lied around alongside the inorganic, but outside of the fact that it was once alive, there was no way to determine what it once was. _

_ And in the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something move, though it could have been a trick of the light; a hope for life amongst a fiery graveyard wrapped in nighttime's embrace. _

_ He knew he was supposed to go down there. Everyone else already was, possibly waiting for him to make a move. No transmission had been given in the past half-hour, but that didn't mean anything; with the chaos as it was, any sort of outbound communication could have been a risk. _

_ He swallowed, letting out a shaky exhale before hopping down to the ground, grabbing hold of a thick wire and climbing down further to the carnage below. _

_ The young man's chest tightened under his protective combat suit, and he swore his heart skipped a few beats before moving to a normal, albeit quicker, pace. _

_ And upon touching ground, all he could think about was climbing back up. _

_ Even with the crackling of flames and the clanks of hidden metallic feet, he could still hear the screams, interspersed between the sounds of isolated explosions and gunfire. Some human, some mechanical, some nothing more than a wet, garbled voice, from which he didn't even want to consider the cause. _

_ Girding himself, he took a few jerky steps forward. _

_ "H-hello?" It wasn't much of a call, now that he thought about it; he had to be more professional about this. Besides, what was there for him to be afraid of? A perforated barricade, that possibly had nothing behind it? Flaming barrels? Stacks of rocks with a stain of color (_Oh my God, is that blood? Please tell me that isn't..._) spattered around the side? _

_ For all intents and purposes, he was alone. _

_ That didn't stop his chest from tightening again, or lightly grasping it with his right hand as he glanced at his surroundings. _

_ "Come on," he whispered to himself. "I can do this." _

_ Easier said than done, but he would manage. _

_ He took one step, then another. And another, and another still. His right hand gripped his chest tighter, the arm cannon on his left poised up, ready to fire. _

_ "Hello?" He called again, stronger this time. Yeah, he could get the hang of this. That thick smell of burning metal and charred meat may have turned his stomach, his trembling may have made his blue bodysuit start to rattle a bit, and his legs were perhaps a bit unstable, but he was all right, considering. "Hello, is there anyone here? I-it's all right – I'm not here to harm you." _

_ ...Says the man in combat armor. _

_ At the silence, he swallowed. _

_ Forcing his feet to move, he was only a foot away from the barricade, made of a few dumpsters and a fallen set of cinderblocks. As far as defense went, a human could do worse, but considering the enemy, and the few large holes in the center, it probably didn't go as well as the builder had hoped. _

_ But maybe there was something there. Maybe..._

_ Unsteady feet moved just a bit further, and his head peeked around the side._

_ He had already smelled the thick odor of copper and sweetened meat before he'd looked down. _

_ That didn't stop him from letting out a cry of surprise at the blank stare of the half-crushed woman's face, muffled by the inevitable vomiting that had followed. _

"Oh, shit, breaking contact! _**Computer,**_** s**_**top simulation!**_"

* * *

><p><em>You know,<em> X Light thought through his migraine as his body landed in a heap on the VR Room floor, _I should have expected that this would happen._

That, and he should have expected the loud hiss of the VR Chamber door as it slid open, or the booming footsteps against the tile wracking his brain. Pulling the connector helmet off and tossing it aside (his hair was soaked; he was going to need a nice hot shower when he could stand again), he curled his knees against his chest, hugging them to him in hopes that they would somehow keep his stomach from turning more than it already was.

...Or prevent the inevitable prospect of _moving_.

The footsteps stopped. Bright red and thick enough to crush his skull into pulp? Yeah, it wasn't exactly rocket science who they belonged to.

"Hey, buddy, you okay? X?"

"Hey yourself." X grumbled with a poor attempt at a smile. Oh, man—this was a bad one. The room was still spinning. "Don't worry about me; 'm all right, Zero."

His companion let out a small breath; whether or not that was a chuckle was anyone's guess, and X wasn't in the mood to look up and see his expression to find out. "No offense, but I don't think the floor can really say the same. Come on, let's get you out of here."

"But who's going to clean it up? I'm feeling a little better." Okay, that was a lie, but still. "I should at least—"

"I had Roll on standby in case this happened. Don't worry about it, it'll be good as new before anyone else uses it." A sigh. "Now come on, up you go."

"H-hey, easy, I might-"

Yeah, there it was. That familiar lurch of the stomach, the white-hot head pang that made him want to huddle further in a ball. Hoisted to his feet, his body weight moved towards Zero's; partially in exhaustion, and partially because of the fact that if he tried to stand on his own, he'd just lose balance and fall again.

"You do," Zero mock-snarled, leading him out of the VR chamber and into the hallway, "and I'll make you clean me with a toothbrush." A pause. "ALL of me."

There was a good possibility that if X was thinking clearly, he would have taken that more seriously; but as it was, he was just having trouble walking, much less determining the intent of the long-haired, red-clad, sentient robot who was helping him stay on his feet.

"I should have known that it would react this way." X mumbled, "I should have taken more precautions, maybe taken some anti-nausea medication prior, or..."

"Come on, X, there was no way you could have known that you'd react when we put the synchronization levels so low." Somehow, that wasn't all that reassuring. "Most humans barely feel the effect with this sort of low-grade VR sim."

"In the past, when 3-D based media was still getting its start, there were many people who couldn't handle watching it without vomiting; maybe there is a similar affliction amongst humans, simply with VR?" A sigh. X's legs were starting to become less like jelly as they moved down out of the central hallways and veered off into the far-too-white side-corridors, as empty as it would be expected to be at five in the morning. Still, it was nice to be able to walk around without hearing the usual hum of activity, if not for just a little while.

As they neared a large set of double-doors, X shook his head. "No elevators," he said. "I don't think I could handle all that rumbling."

"Teleporters, then?" Zero asked.

"We could try..." X tried to lean on his companion less, breathing deep in hopes to quell the churning in his stomach. "I'm really sorry about this. You could have been recharging and yet..."

"Don't worry about it." A tight grip on his right shoulder was a good enough response; X didn't really feel the need to look into Zero's face. "I told you that I'd help, didn't I?"

"Only for it to end in me getting sick again. Why do the license exams have to be based on VR tests?"

"Because we normally don't have Medics, much less Hunters, with sensitive human constitutions. We never considered that we'd need a 'VR-averse' option."

"I guess." If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Really, it was hard _not_ to feel bad, considering the circumstances. "Again, I'm really—"

"Say the rest of that and I'll gag you. Now let's get to the Med Bay before you end up puking again."


End file.
